Boutique Shop Volunteer (Pinner)

The legendary Mary Portas and Save the Children joined forces in 2009 to take the lead on a charity retail revolution resulting in a blaze of publicity and a new style of charity retailing we call Mary's Living & Giving. With 22 shops in London, along with the inaugural shop in Edinburgh, coupled with a commitment to significant growth there is no limit to our ambition.

Mary's Living & Giving for Save the Children is unique - a vibrant result of the generous gifts of local individuals and companies being turned around by the skills and passions of volunteer teams, to create a destination retail experience. Selling womenswear, menswear, shoes, and bags to household goods, our shops can be found in the London villages and bring in vital funds for Safe the Children.

There's never a dull moment and always a variety of tasks to be done in the shop, back room and office. You'll be welcoming, chatting to and serving our customers. Using the till and handling money, you'll also be taking in donations. And if you encourage people to Gift Aid their donations, we can claim an extra 25p for every pound on them. You may also be sorting through donations, steaming and pricing them so they're ready to sell in the shop.

If you have some creative flair, all the better. We want eye-catching, stand and stare window displays so people will be stopped in their tracks, come into our shop and spend some money! You can also create fun and interesting displays inside the shop to best show off the clothes and household goods. This will keep the tills ringing with sales and raise lots of money. It's always lovely to chat with our customers and tell them about Save the Children's amazing work, our social events and encourage them to volunteer too. You'll have a rewarding and fun time and it's a great way to make new friends and help raise money to support children in the UK and overseas.

There are a variety of shifts and days available. So, why not get involved in your community by volunteering with your local Mary's Living and Giving shop.

What Happens Next

After you’ve filled in an application, we will invite you for a trial shift. It’s a great opportunity to visit the shop, meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you would be supporting with as a shop volunteer. Hopefully allowing you to get a feel for the role and make sure it’s for you. We also ask for two references. (Both referees should be people who are 18 years of age or older, and aren't related to you. One referee should be someone you know from a formal setting - work, school, volunteering, a faith leader, social or youth worker, etc.)

How you’ll hear about your application

Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive notifications to the email address you apply with. Sometimes the emails we send about your application go into junk folders. We will keep in touch with you through an email address ending in @save-the-children.goassemble.com, do check your junk folder for confirmation of your application and other messages from us.

Safeguarding at Save the Children

Everyone at Save the Children must demonstrate the highest standards of behaviour towards children and adults in both out professional and personal lives. Everyone with a concern should report it at once. More information on safeguarding can be found here including how to make a report.

We are committed to protecting and keeping children safe. We select, check and manage our volunteers to make sure that we are able to do this. All volunteers and staff must agree to and follow our code of conduct. Any questions about becoming a volunteer? Call 020 3763 0260 or email volunteersupport@savethechildren.org.uk